Page 32 - 1995 Mountaineering Club Bulletin

5c*** 5a*
ANNUAL BULLETIN
HMS Inverness Mediterranean Tour 1995
Run up Feb 1995. Scon Weatherly and myself received a let­ ter from Draftv. How would you both like to tour the Med for three months starting June? Me “I’m getting married at the end of July”. How does no sound”? Drafty “OK negat three months notice (let alone six) you leave the first of May”. ME
"Cheers, good-by Alaska no more Mount McKinley, I didn't real­ ly want to spend a month away with Martin Hallet anyway”.
Next day; I get a call from Scott. “Kev are you taking your climb­ ing kit”. “YOU BET”. So starteth MED TOUR 95. Brest, Lorient, Rota, Portimao, Palma, Menorca, Palma, Istanbul, Varna, Alicante and then Home. All in time for the revised wed­ ding day shucks!
A valuable book throughout the trip was David Jones’ “THE ROCK CLIMBING GUIDE TO EUROPE” published by Crowood ISBN 1 85223 450 4. Very little is offered on actual routes though the areas are laid out very effectively. For Spanish venues Chris Cragg’s “COSTA BLANCA CLIMBS” published by Cicerone ISBN 1 85284 058 7. This guide was most useful, though our copy was published in 1990, so we found it a little misleading at times due to the new routing that has flourished in recent years.
First Stop. Brest, out book, first venue L'Imperatrice. Next question, how do we get there? “TAXI”! “Take us to L’Imperatrice near the ville Le Passage”. Driver “OK”. Off we trundled . Kev to Scotty “That was easy mate”. Next stop Ferry Port to Guernsey. “Um what this drives”? Ans “Le Passage”. “Um NON”. Showed him the guide book “Non comprende”. Along came two French Babes, a quick translation followed “Cheers doll see you tonight”. She frowned, guess not. Off we go again. £17 later we arrived at the hamlet of Passage Rock as described, full of locals, borrow a guide. NON! Apparently no guide exists. “Do you like this line Scotty”. “Yep you lead”. “Cheers bud”.
Onwards and upwards, the rock was superb, though bolted. We decided to carry our racks anyway (we are British after all). Halfway up I found a horseshoe lower off, hammered into a crack, smart. Three climbs followed.
Overhanging route El 5b/5c * Le Diagonale El 5b
Then we met a few local activists and finally “Would you like to have a read of my topo”? After bandaging the offered hand, we confirmed our rather cagey own grading and noted the names of routes climbed (if named). Apparently a guide will be available shortly, now where have I heard that one before? One final route was climbed.
Slab route VS 4c
We weren't looking forward to the walk home, no honestly, how­ ever off we set. Shortly after setting off we stumbled across a bus Brest bound. Guess how much for a return ticket? 60p. Not happy.
Then followed HMS INVERNESS’ geological survey of the French coast line. We were supposed to be looking for mines but the fishermen beat us to them. Let hope that next time there’s a war on they will save us the hassle, funny not a Canadian flag in sight this side of the channel.
Next stop Rota, Spain, no guide to hand and all maple trees appear to have been felled. Can’t think why. A couple of nights in Portimao followed, after some thought we decided not to climb here. The rock appeared to be very frail sandstone and excrement was to be found in the most remote of positions. Well one must keep the beach clean at all costs, that aside Portimao was an excellent run.
Palma Mallorca was our next port of call. We hired a car from Moby Dicks, a car hire/garage run by two expats (they will give you a discount if you tell them that your in the forces). Address: Joan Amiro 243, Cala Mayor. Tel. Palma 40 16 81 ask for Tony.
First on our list of venues was Calvia west of Palma, after some debate on where the crag was (the guide can be a little mislead­ ing) we set off. The crag is north of the road and not south as the text would suggest. The walk in up Death Valley (36 deg C) was verging on a desert walk in with only the hardiest of vegetation surviving. We were glad of our two litres of juice. Three climbs followed before the heat got the better of us.
Route 19 VS
Demi Portsions El
Route 22 VS 4c*
Off home we walked, a bit of an extended pub crawl ensued. Four hours later the Naval Base loomed into view, as did most of HMS INVERNESS' Ships Company, Party. How we made it back with kit intact 111never know.
7th May. We received an offer of a lift from the French Navy to Pen Hir, 30 miles away. “Be on the jetty for 0900” the liaison offi­ cer said. 1100 still no sign, oh well bus it is. Sunday no buses for 2 hours. “TAXI”. Another £17 later, crag still very' busy still no guide. Two routes followed.
THE ROYAL NAVY & ROYAL MARINES MOUNTAINEERING CLUB
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Calenaura Invernal Ultimodela Fila Pinchito Moruna
HVS* El 5b** El 5b*
“Too hot, lets go swimming, good call”. We had heard of a climb­ ing shop in Palma town so off we set in search of some cheap Spanish kit. After 3 hours of trudging around Palma we found it. Yes it was shut. Pizza! After pizza we decided on a recce into the hills of La Gubia, the Northern mountains near Soller. Easy to find, out of Palma on the 711, the hills soon loom into view. A quick round Robin, then off home with a great big cheesy grin on